(v. a.P. a.adv.) : tendo (tenno), tĕtendi, tentum and tensum, 3, v. a. and n. root ten-, tan, v. teneo; cf. Gr. τείνω.
* Act., to stretch, stretch out, distend, extend, etc. (class.; cf.: extendo, explico).
* Lit.
* Neutr.
* Trop.: insidiae tenduntur alicui, are spread out, laid (qs. like nets), Cic. Rosc. Com. 16, 46: insidias alicui,Sall. C. 27, 2; Suet. Caes. 35: omnes insidias animis,Cic. Leg. 1, 17, 47: animum vigilem,to strain, exert,Stat. Achill. 1, 543: longo tendit praecordia voto, Claud. Cons. Prob. et Ol. 66; cf.: sunt quibus in Satirā videor nimis acer et ultra Legem tendere opus,i. e. to heighten, aggravate,Hor. S. 2, 1, 2: aestivam sermone benigno noctem,to protract, extend,id. Ep. 1, 5, 11: (lunam) Tanto posse minus cum Signis tendere cursum,to direct,Lucr. 5, 631: cursum ex acie in Capitolia,Sil. 9, 216: cursum ad agmina suorum,id. 10, 73: iter ad naves,Verg. A. 1, 656: iter pennis,id. ib. 6, 240: ad dominum iter,Ov. M. 2, 547: cursum unde et quo,Liv. 23, 34, 5: iter in Hispaniam, Auct. B. Afr. 95: cunctis civibus lucem ingenii et consilii sui porrigens atque tendens,tendering, offering,Cic. de Or. 1, 40, 184.
* To direct one's self or one's course; to aim, strive, go, travel, march, tend, bend one's course in any direction (class.).
* Lit.: dubito an Venusiam tendam,Cic. Att. 16, 5, 3: Beneventum,Hor. S. 1, 5, 71: cursuque amens ad limina tendit,Verg. A. 2, 321: ad castra,Liv. 9, 37: in castra,id. 10, 36: ad aedes,Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 89: ad domum Bruti et Cassii,Suet. Caes. 85: ad portus,Ov. M. 15, 690: Ciconum ad oras,id. ib. 10, 3: ad metam,id. ib. 15, 453; cf.: cum alter ad alterum tenderemus,Plin. Ep. 1, 5, 9: unde venis? et Quo tendis?Hor. S. 1, 9, 63; id. Ep. 1, 15, 11; id. C. 3, 3, 70: quo tendere pergunt,Verg. A. 6, 198; Nep. Milt. 1, 6: tendimus huc (sc. in Orcum) omnes,Ov. M. 10, 34 et saep.
* For tentoria tendere, to set up tents, to be under tents, be encamped, to encamp: qui sub vallo tenderent mercatores,Caes. B. G. 6, 37; cf.: omnibus extra vallum jussis tendere, Frontin. Strat. 4, 1, 18: vallo tendetis in illo,Luc. 7, 328: hic Dolopum manus, hic saevus tendebat Achilles,Verg. A. 2, 29: legio latis tendebat in arvis,id. ib. 8, 605: isdem castris,Liv. 44, 13, 12; 27, 46; 44, 5; Suet. Galb. 12; 19; cf.: isdem hibernis tendentes,Tac. H. 1, 55: Lugduni tendentes,id. ib. 1, 59: cum multitudo laxius tenderet,Curt. 3, 8, 18; 5, 7, 6; 7, 2, 37: tendere in campis,id. 10, 7, 20. — Hence, tensus, a, um, P. a., stretched out, drawn tight, strained, tense (rare): rectissima linea tensa,Quint. 3, 6, 83: collum,id. 11, 3, 82; cf.: remissis magis quam tensis (digitis),id. 11, 3, 99: vox tensior (opp. remissior),id. 11, 3, 42: lacerti,Luc. 7, 469: rudentes,id. 2, 683: frons,Lucr. 6, 1195: tormento citharāque tensior,Auct. Priap. 6 and 70.—Sup. and adv. do not occur.
* Trop.
* In gen., to aim, strive, be directed or inclined, to tend in any direction: ad reliqua alacri tendebamus animo,Cic. Div. 2, 2, 4; cf.: ad altiora et non concessa tendere,Liv. 4, 13, 4: ad majora,Quint. 2, 4, 20; 12, 2, 27: ad eloquium,Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 17: ad suum,Liv. 4, 9, 5; cf.: ad Carthaginienses,id. 24, 5, 8: cum alii alio tenderent,id. 24, 28, 1: in diversum sententiae tendebant,id. 36, 10, 7: tenes, quorsum haec tendant, quae loquor, tend, look, = spectent, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 81; Hor. S. 2, 7, 21.
* To exert one's self, to strive, endeavor (mostly poet.); with inf.: (Laocoon) manibus tendit divellere nodos,Verg. A. 2, 220: pasta (nitedula) rursus Ire foras pleno tendebat corpore frustra,Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 31: captae civitati leges imponere, Liv. 6, 38, 7; 24, 35; 10, 1: quod efficere tendimus,Quint. 9, 1, 21: fratresque tendentes opaco Pelion imposuisse Olympo,Hor. C. 3, 4, 51: tendit disertus haberi,id. Ep. 1, 19, 16: aqua tendit rumpere plumbum,id. ib. 1, 10, 20; Pers. 5, 139; Juv. 10, 154. — Absol.: miles tendere, inde ad jurgium,insists, persists,Ter. Eun. 4, 1, 12.
* In partic., to exert one's self in opposition, to strive, try, endeavor, contend (class. but not freq. till the Aug. per.): nec nos obniti contra nec tendere tantum Sufficimus,Verg. A. 5, 21; cf.: nec mora nec requies; vasto certamine tendunt,id. ib. 12, 553: Petreius ubi videt Catilinam contra ac ratus erat magnā vi tendere,Sall. C. 60, 5; cf.: summā vi,Liv. 32, 32, 7 Drak.: adversus, etc.,id. 34, 34, 1: contra,id. 35, 51, 6: ultra,id. 24, 31, 4: acrius,Tac. A. 2, 74; cf.: acrius contra, ut, etc.,Liv. 3, 15, 2; so with ut, id. 4, 7, 8; with ne, id. 4, 8, 6: quid tendit? cum efficere non possit, ut, etc.,what does he strive for? to what do his efforts tend?Cic. Fin. 2, 5, 16; cf.: nihil illi tendere contra,Verg. A. 9, 377.